Toy guns and other hand held firing toys or various descriptions are very popular with children. They are generally band-operable and outwardly resemble guns with conventional triggers and sights. Toy guns which produce a radiation beam whose impingement on a target produces a sensible output indication are also known in the art.
A relatively recent development in this field is the interactive television game. Games of this type are marketed under the trademarks Nintendo, Atari and Sega and include various combat scenarios, including aerial combat and futuristic war. The input controls for interactive television games are usually buttons, joysticks and light-sensitive hand-held guns. In many cases the player uses a given single input control both for controlling the attitude of his simulated movement and for firing.
The present invention seeks to provide a novel electro-optically operated firearm toy which is preferably not hand held in operation.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention a firing toy including headgear having mounted thereon a simulated weapon system, a visor, apparatus for indicating on the visor a sighting reference and apparatus for producing simulated firing on a target. Preferably the headgear and the simulated firing apparatus are operative for producing simulated firing on a target which appears on a television screen in an interactive television game. There is also provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention an interactive television game system including interactive television game apparatus, headgear having mounted thereon a simulated weapon system, a visor, apparatus for indicating on the visor a sighting reference; and apparatus for producing simulated firing on a target.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the firearm toy is in the form of headgear which is used to position a weapon system on targets which appear on a television screen in an interactive television game. Aiming is achieved by means of head movement, which enables the player to align crosshairs of a sight on the targets. Firing is preferably achieved by voice command. The overall attitude of a simulated platform on which the player is located is normally controlled by a separate, hand-operated joy-stick.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention a non hand held toy including apparatus for visual aiming on a target and apparatus establishing radiation communication between the target and the toy.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aiming apparatus comprises sighting reference projecting apparatus for projecting a sighting reference onto a visor disposed in front of the user so as to create a virtual image located substantially at the center of the user's field of view. The image of the sighting reference thus appears as though it were located at an infinite distance from the user.
The sighting reference projecting apparatus preferably comprises a source of visible light.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the visor comprises a substantially transparent curved substrate having a pre-determined geometrical configuration, the visible light source being located at a pre-determined position on the focal plane of the inner surface of the substrate.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the geometrical configuration of the curved substrate is a portion of a sphere.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transparent visor comprises a partially light-reflective coating on the inner surface thereof associated with a generally transparent relatively stiff curved substrate. The coating is operative to reflect light arriving thereat from the sighting reference projecting apparatus to the eyes of the user, thus creating a virtual image of the sighting reference.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating is a dichroic coating and the substrate is formed from a polycarbonate material.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating is a neutral metallic coating.
In a preferred embodiment useful in the context of an interactive television game a light sensitive detector is employ to determine the alignment of a simulated weapon system on a target displayed on the television screen.
Preferably, the light sensitive detector is boresighted to the player's line of sight through the sighting reference, enabling the player to aim at the target by moving his head to line up the displayed target with the sighting reference projected on the headgear. The firing activation apparatus is preferably voice activated.
When the interactive game generates a target on the television screen and firing is activated by the player, a bright image, typically in the shape of the target, is generated on the television screen for a short period of time. It this bright image is detected by the light sensitive detector in the head gear, a "hit" is registered by the interactive game.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for emitting comprises an IR beam emitting apparatus and firing activation apparatus.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the IR beam emitting apparatus is boresighted to the user's line of sight through the sighting reference, enabling the user to aim at the target by moving his head and lining up the target with the projected sighting reference.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the firing activation apparatus is voice activated.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the toy also comprises apparatus for providing an output indication of IR beam impingement thereon including an IR sensor and indication providing apparatus for providing an indication that IR energy has impinged upon the IR beam sensor.
Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the IR sensor is sensitive to IR beams impinging thereupon from any direction.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the various elements of the toy are all mounted on headgear, with the possible exception of the IR sensor which may be remotely mounted.